The Young Ones
by Draco38
Summary: It has been a year since the Lovelace family's return from Roanapur. What has changed in their lives?


Just to be clear, this Roberta is the one from the anime that was injured so badly.

I do not own Black Lagoon or its characters.

* * *

The Young Ones

Dawn had just broken outside the Lovelace hacienda as in the kitchen and servants quarters, maids were stirring, beginning another morning.

Rosalita Cisneros, the head housemaid, sat in her wheelchair watching over the preparations for the coming day. It had been a year since she had returned from Roanapur with the young master and Fabiola, a long painful year of healing and rehabilitation.

She thought back to the days when she had first come to the Lovelace household. Ruined laundry, burnt food, all tolerated by Don Diego and laughed at by the young Garcia, but she learned and did her duty to take care of those who had taken care of her.

"Masica, have you planned the meals for the day?" Rosalita asked.

"Yes, head maid," the heavyset woman in front of the stove replied. "I have fresh fruit with warm muffins and bacon for breakfast, a light salad from the garden for luncheon, and a nice pork roast with the trimmings for supper. Davia will be making apple tarts for dessert, with my supervision, of course." The heavyset Masica was the #3 maid in the Lovelace household behind Rosalita and Fabiola and served as the chief cook. Davia, a tall skinny girl, was maid #5 and served as Masica's assistant in kitchen duties.

"Very well," the crippled woman said as she touched the patch over her right eye.

"Are…are you in pain, head maid?" Masica asked.

Rosalita shook her head, "No more than normal. I think maybe a change in the weather is coming though."

The cook nodded. She understood, as did the other maids in the Lovelace home, that the head maid's wounds pained her more than she would admit at times. _We never really found out what happened in Thailand,_ Masica thought. _Master said it was a terrorist attack, but there is more to it than that I'm sure. Plus little Fabiola, she came back changed also, in a different way. _

The object of her thoughts walked through the door, stretching and yawning.

"Stop that!" Rosalita told the girl. "It looks unbecoming!"

"Yes, head maid!" the young woman said, as she curtsied before the older women.

Rosalita watched as Fabiola set about readying the breakfast tray she would take to Garcia. The woman's eyes took her in, measuring the changes the 'mini maid' had gone through since their return. Even though she was still short, she had blossomed in other ways. Her figure had filled out and her face had softened from that of a girl to that of a woman.

"Tell the young master the mining supervisor will be here at 10 am for their meeting," Rosalita told her, as the girl picked up the breakfast tray. "He is free until then."

"Yes, head maid!"

The mini maid picked up the tray, placing it on her left shoulder while balancing it with her hands. She left the kitchen and crossed the great foyer heading into the residential wing of the mansion. She tapped lightly on the door of the master's suite, before entering and placing the tray on a coffee table in front of a sofa on one side of the room.

Going to the bedchamber, she slipped in the door and stood for a minute next to the big, canopied bed, watching as the lump under the comforter moved. Slowly, the covers slid down until she could just see Garcia, from the nose up, looking out at her.

"Good morning, Master," she said with a smile. "Breakfast is on the coffee table and head maid said to remind you the mining supervisor will be here at 10 am. Is there anything I can do for you this morning?"

As quick as a striking snake the young man threw back the bed covers and grabbed the girl, dragging her into the bed with him. He pinned her under him and smiled before crushing his lips to hers. She fought him slightly, but as he began to caresses her body, her token resistance waned. Once he removed her hair band, letting her dark locks fall free, he started undressing her slowly while smothering her face and neck with kisses. Once he had control of her neck and ears, she melted under him.

The 'young master' had grown quite a bit since their time in Thailand, back then he had been slightly shorter than the girl, but that changed quickly in the past year. He had hit a sudden 'growth spurt' and now he was a head taller than Fabiola. His beard had started to grow in and his voice had grown deeper. Then the urges had come, for he and her both. Urges they had embraced together.

It had started innocently enough back in Roanapur. Traveling together, with their worry over Rosalita, the young ones had grown closer. The breaking point had been when Garcia jumped into the waters of the Gulf of Thailand on that hot muggy night. The old PT boat had been refueling for its trip up the Mekong River and the stress and pressure were just too much for the boy. After diving in, he pulled the girl in with him and they made a pact not to return to Venezuela without Rosalita.

That pact had been sealed when Fabiola had removed her hairband and they had drawn close. The water had a luminescence to it that night, and the teens held each other, hugging until the mercenary crew had pulled them out to continue their journey.

Afterwards, after the running through the jungle, the killing of Caxton's men and the shooting, both fake and real, they returned to the old war boat to go back down river.

Now though, Rosalita had been returned to them, Garcia was wounded by the head maid's own hand, and Fabiola was distraught and mad over the events. The wounded had been placed on bunks in the forward crew's cabin, Rosalita on one bunk, Garcia on another.

Fabiola stayed by their sides from that point on, allowing no one except Caxton and the blond computer hacker, near. Late one evening before they got back to the gulf, the girl was watching Garcia sleep. He had a slight fever and had been sweating, so she was wiping his face when she stopped. Her eyes took in his soft lips and fine features for a minute before she leaned in and kissed him on those lips. Later she could not even say why she did it, but she had and never regretted it. Garcia's eyes fluttered open as she drew back, his lips parted and he said, "Again…do it again, Fabiola…"

She had and he responded to her, reaching out and placing his hand behind her neck to hold her close, as their inexperienced mouths and tongues explored each other. This went on for a while before they finally broke apart. Garcia closed his eyes again to rest, as the girl lay her head on his shoulder, holding his hand, as her heart pounded with joy.

They did not know they had been watched.

Rosalita had opened her one eye to see Fabiola wiping the sweat from their master's brow, and then…then their long lingering kiss. She closed her eye and thought about what she had seen, knowing that leaving the hacienda had changed more than just her in the long run, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as the drugs took over and she drifted off.

Coming out into the gulf, they were met by a ship that took everyone off the PT boat, leaving the _Black Lagoon's_ crew to make their own way home.

Fabiola paid minor attention to what went on, trusting Caxton to keep them safe. She had seen him talking to a blond woman in a blue dress as the stretchers bearing Rosalita and Garcia were taken below decks. Later the woman had come to the room they were housed, to check on them.

"Who are you?" Fabiola had asked as the blond stood in the door.

"Nobody you have to worry about, kid," the woman replied, as she walked over to look at Rosalita.

"Then why are you here?" the girl said as she began to flex her fingers in preparation of pulling her shotguns.

"Just checking on you," the woman replied as she turned toward Garcia. "It is in my company's best interest to make sure all of you get home safe and sound."

"And what company is that?"

The woman shook her head before replying, "Doesn't really matter, kiddo, just know that Caxton will be with you until you arrive home, and you have no other worries than that."

_Something to do with the American government then, _Fabiola thought as the blond went back to the door. "I will protect them if I have too," the girl said.

The woman stopped, watching her for a moment over her left shoulder. "I know you will, mini maid," she said. "But you can stand down, even though I know you won't. You're safe as long as you don't start any trouble. Entiende*?"

The girl watched her for a minute before nodding in response. With that, the woman left, closing the door behind her.

A short time later the girl heard what sounded like a helicopter and not long after, Caxton came in to check on them.

"Who was the blond woman?" Fabiola asked the Major.

He shook his head, "No one you need to worry about, little one. Just think of her as our sponsor. She will make sure we get all of you home safely."

She sighed and nodded, sitting back down beside Garcia, as the solider sat down on the other side of the bed to watch with her.

000

Rosalita stood outside the bedroom as she listened to the young couple making love. There was a sadness on her face as she started quietly back out of the suite. She moved softly, even though the lower part of her right leg was now artificial. She had practiced long hours in the night to be able to walk and move again this way. Garcia had tried to get her to accept the newest and latest in mechanical limbs, but she refused, preferring the older wooden and metal style instead. She also had an arm, but most days she did not wear it because she wanted to be reminded of the sins she had committed, and the lives she destroyed.

She paused once more in the door of the suite as she heard the couple laugh, in that way the young did, full of life and love for it. She clutched the silver cross on her breast and muttered a prayer to Santa Maria for their happiness.

She quietly closed the door behind her as she limped back towards the kitchen.

000

Garcia lay on his back, Fabiola cuddled to his right side as she slowly rubbed her fingers across his chest.

"You are quiet this morning, my love; is something the matter?" he asked.

She sighed, "We need to stop this, Garcia. What will happen if she finds out?"

The young man pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Nothing will happen," he replied. "I will handle it and she will understand how much I love you."

"But you love her also, don't you?" the girl asked.

He eased down in the bed, turning so he could look her in the face, "I've never hidden that from you Fabiola, you know as well as I do she is very special to me. I barely remember my mother and from the time I was nine years old, Roberta has been here taking care of me. How could I not love her? She's given almost everything for us"

"What about us, Garcia, you know this can never be also," she replied. "Someday you will need to marry. A wife will be picked for you from one of the great families, not some chambermaid from the barrios of Caracas."

Garcia sighed, "We have talked of this before, my love. I don't want some feigning daughter of a great family. I want you, the one who I have crossed the world with, fought with and shed blood with, only you. Do you not wish to be with me?"

She shook her head, "No, I want to be with you, but I worry what she will say…"

He pressed his forehead to hers, "Trust me, Fabiola; I will handle it. Now, let's get up and eat some breakfast. I will need to go over the accounts before my meeting."

The girl nodded and climbed from the bed. As she reached for her clothes he pulled her to him, holding her naked body to his.

"I love you, Fabiola, always remember that," he said.

000

The day had passed into evening and after supper Garcia was sitting on the veranda sipping tea. Hearing the squeak of Rosalita's wheelchair, he smiled and turned to watch as Fabiola pushed the woman to the table next to him.

"Go now," the older woman told the girl. "You have duties to attend to before bed, and I wish to speak to the Master alone."

Fabiola paused and looked to Garcia before curtsying and leaving them.

They sat quietly for a few minutes before Rosalita spoke, "Are you simply playing with her, young master? Or are you serious about her?"

Garcia went cold for a moment before answering, "No Roberta, I am not playing with her, I love her as I do you. How long have you known?"

"A month or so," the woman answered. "I suspected something like this might happen after I saw her kiss you on the ship coming back from Thailand. I never said anything though, I knew you needed her in the aftermath of that hell, and I could not give you that affection."

The young man came to her and knelt down, placing his head in her lap, "I love you, Roberta, I always have and always will."

She stroked his hair as her face softened, "I know, Garcia; I love you too, but I can never love you like she can."

"Are you displeased with me?" he asked.

"No," she said with a smile as she caressed his hair. "I will not say you should have waited for marriage, because I understand what you have been through. But I will have you do right by her. She is not a toy to be used and thrown away when you are through."

"She has said several times we should stop, you know," he said as he looked up at her. "She is worried that I should marry some daughter of one of the other great families. I told her I didn't want that, but she still worries about the future."

Rosalita laughed, actually laughed, out loud. "I am sorry, young master," she said. "After all we have been through I cannot see you attached to some shrinking violet of a prissy woman, raised to only attend tea and faint when kissed."

Garcia laughed also, "No I could never do that. I like my women like Jaguars, fierce and powerful in their heart as well as in bed!"

She swatted him on the head for that one. He laughed and rolled away as she got up. "Behave!" she scolded. "I will go and talk to her. You get yourself ready for bed. You have a full day tomorrow."

As she picked up her cane that was hanging on the back of her chair, he stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Thank you, I love you… tia*."

A small cry came from her lips as he said this, and she gripped his hands with hers before whispering, "Thank you, Garcia," and heading inside.

000

Fabiola was stretched across her bed, wearing her shorts and t-shirt. Her mind drifted to that morning, wishing she could go to him again, but knowing they had to pick their times to be together.

A light knock came on the door before it opened to reveal Rosalita. She slowly stepped in, balancing carefully, since she was carrying a clothes bag with her good hand. Placing it on the chair at the dressing table, she turned and watched the girl as she sat up.

"Is…is there something I can do for you, head maid?"

Rosalita watched her for a second before speaking, "How long did you think you could hide it from me?"

Fabiola went white as what the Bloodhound said to her sank in, "I…uh…we didn't really want to hide from you, mistress…it just sort of happened…"

"Hmm," the woman replied. "You will clean and put away your maid uniform. You will need it no longer."

The girl began to shake in fear, "Are you…am I…fired?"

Rosalita nodded, "I should think so. I will settle everything tomorrow. In the morning you will wear these clothes. Come, take them and lay them out."

Still stunned, the girl didn't know what else to go but obey. She knew Rosalita would be upset, but she never thought she would be thrown out into the street, or that Garcia would allow it. Acting on automatic, she picked up the bag and lay it on the bed to be unzipped. Doing so she pulled the clothes out and held them up stunned at the sight of them.

"This…this is…" she stuttered.

"The dress of a matron. Tomorrow morning you will no longer be second maid, you must start training to run his household in the future. I will not have his wife a wilting lily unable to handle the servants and household accounts."

The dam broke then. The girl dropped the dress to the bed and rushed to clench Rosalita in a hug that almost took the woman's breath. Fabiola gasped for air as the tears poured from her eyes onto the older woman's chest.

"I thought…" she sobbed. "I thought you were throwing me away!"

Rosalita hugged her as best she could with her one good arm, "No, I would never do that to you. Fabiola, when I brought you to live with us, I thought this might happen, maybe I even hoped it might happen. I picked you because I thought you might be a good match for him. I am so glad I was right."

The girl stepped back and looked up at the woman she admired so much, "Thank you. Thank you for everything. Does…does he know?"

The woman shook her head, "He knows I know, but he doesn't know what I planned for you from this point on."

"Can I…can I go and tell him?"

Rosalita nodded, "And this time you may stay the night, if he wants you too. Just don't make a habit of it until things are settled, understand?"

The girl nodded before racing out the door.

Rosalita stepped to the bed and brushed the dress out as flat as she could before closing her eyes to pray for a moment. Finishing, she smiled and left the room.

000

Six months later in Roanapur, Thailand:

"Hey you two, come on in!" Mr. Chang said as Rock and Revy entered his office led by Biu.

"Greetings Boss Chang," Rock said, bowing to the man. "You called for us? A new job perhaps?"

"Not this time, Rock," the Triad boss replied. "Something came in the mail and I thought you would like to see it." He tossed a brown envelope across the desk to the salaryman.

Rock glanced at the front, noticing there was no return address. He did notice though that the stamps were from Venezuela. Puzzled, he pulled the contents out to find an 8 by 10 landscape picture of a wedding party. Looking closer he realized the young man was a much grown Garcia Lovelace.

"Who's this bunch all fancied the fuck up?" Revy asked as she snatched the picture from Rock's hand. "HOLY SHIT! Is that Fucking Glasses Bitch in the wheelchair!? Who the hell is the girl and this other bunch!?"

"If you will give me a minute I'll try to tell you," Rock replied as he took the picture back from her. After glancing at the front again he looked on the back where he found a list of people. "Garcia Fernando Lovelace and wife Fabiola Iglesias Lovelace with…" he stopped as Revy snatched the photo again.

"Fucking hell! That's mini maid!? What the hell is she doing marrying young master!? Did he knock her up!?"

Rock sighed as Chang laughed at Revy. Taking the picture back a second time, Rock continued to read the back. "Garcia, Fabiola with head maid Rosalita Cisneros and Lovelace house maids, Masica, Davia and Karina. That's all it says."

Mr. Chang shrugged his shoulders in response to Rock questioning eyes, "I have no idea. It arrived in regular mail with no letter or explanation. I guess they just wanted us to know that they're doing fine."

Rock nodded as he looked at the picture again. Garcia and Fabiola's faces were aglow with excitement as were the three house maid's. Roberta looked…satisfied, as if she had just seen something she had always hoped for come to pass. Then Rock noticed the stance. Garcia had his left arm behind his new wife, but his right hand was on Roberta's left shoulder, where her one good hand clutched his.

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A/N: This was inspired by Unkeptsecret. After reading chapter 6 of 'She Will Be the Death of Me' this popped into my head and she quickly encouraged me to write it.

Also I have found some conflict on whether Roberta's 'real' name is Rosalita or Rosarita, different character lists, and translators disagree. I also left people that knew her as Roberta, referring to her by that name.

Entiende – Spanish for understand.

Tia – Spanish for aunt or auntie, a term of endearment and affection.

Please Review and/or Favorite.


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